


Idle Chatter

by StevetheIcecube



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: 21O Mentioned, A2 Mentioned, Angst, Flashbacks, Gen, Introspection, Major Spoilers, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 08:45:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14638278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StevetheIcecube/pseuds/StevetheIcecube
Summary: 9S makes his way towards the machine supply point in the forest and is reminded of the past.





	Idle Chatter

The water flowed at a rapid pace downstream, and in the distance 9S could hear the thundering of the waterfall as it reached the end of the cliff and dropped off abruptly into the abyss below. The cliffs were so deep and jagged and the light so sparse that the satellites had never picked up what was down there, and he for one was not curious enough to risk his life and jump down there. There could be crazed machines down there, or just practically nothing at all. Maybe if someone jumped down they’d struggle fruitlessly in the water until they went below, their signal lost forever.

Maybe he shouldn’t think about it. His thoughts drifting off in curious directions had never been a problem to him before, as much has it had annoyed 21O and...2B. Bt now he had an urgent purpose he needed to fulfil, and quickly, and thinking off in directions of death would not help him. Every moment spent walking alone in these woods just drew his thoughts further and further from the task at hand. He could feel 2B at his side as they trudged through the stifling humidity, skirting round hordes of armoured (why did they wear armour when they were already made of metal?) machines who were so willing to throw their lives away for a metal lump of a baby. And just like that, the memory of A2, the memory of 2B, it overwhelmed him and he staggered to a sheltered spot beside the stream and collapsed to his knees as all the memories came flooding back.

-~-

“It sure is hot,” 9S complained, glaring up at the sun and then regretting it as light filtered through his visor and flashed sunlight across his visual processors. “Would be nice if it would turn to night at some point.”

“It won’t,” 2B said before he could continue. “It’s pointless to speculate about that. The light makes it easier to see our enemies, anyway.”

“We don’t need to see them, we can sense them, and even then they make a hell of a lot of noise,” 9S shot back.

“It’s entirely possible for them to jam our sensors,” 2B said. “And being in the dark really doesn’t help if something like that happens.”

“Just let me complain, why don't you?” 9S complained. “It’s hot and humid and I’m smashing heavily armoured machines that think they have a king, if they even know what that means.”

“You could sit back from the fighting,” 2B suggested. “You’re not built for combat and I am. If you’re worried about falling behind, you can just provide support.”

“Look, I’m not asking for a concession or anything,” he said. “I’m just complaining.”

“Is there a point to it?” She asked, clearly knowing full well what the answer would be.

“No,” he said. “And no, I don’t have to complain, I could just be quiet. But the silence of the forest is sorta freaky, so I’m going to keep talking anyway. You don’t have to listen.”

“I cannot tell the difference between your inane mission-related chattering and your inane useless chattering,” 2B said simply. “If you are struggling with the heat, your best option is to conserve your energy by not using unnecessary systems.”

“Aw but 2B, I just said that the silent forest was freaky,” he said. She scoffed, and he knew the next reply would be a dismissal.

“I’m sure you can focus on just walking until we reach our destination,” she said. “Or would you rather hear the footsteps of hundreds of machines coming at us? Or a Goliath, for that matter?”

“You know that’s not what I mean,” he said. “I like hearing people’s voices.”

“You mean you like hearing your own voice,” 2B said. “Seeing as you complain every time I speak.”

“That’s only because you always tell me to stop talking,” he said. “If we were talking about something else, it wouldn’t be so bad and I wouldn’t have to make the conversation for myself.”

“What else would you propose talking about? The only relevant conversation would be the task at hand, and you seem content to avoid that.” 9S could only shrug at her words. 2B probably didn’t have other interests, and she didn’t talk to other people long enough to form connections or collect anecdotes she could share. As for himself, well, he’d mostly worked alone in his so far fairly short life.

9S sighed after a few moments, gazing off into the distance. Trees, trees, more trees, crumbling stone, running water. He wondered if this landscape ever changed.

-~-

Just like that, he was pulled back into reality. He had no idea how much time had passed. With the Bunker now destroyed and his signal cut off, he couldn’t find out exactly how much time he’d been out, but the incident was worrying. “Pod?” He called.

“Unit 9S, I recommend a recalibration of your memory bank processors,” it said. “It appears you experienced a dislodging of filed events. Maintenance is recommended imminently to check there has been no damage caused by your contact with the logic virus.”

“I’ve already received as much as I need,” he said. He’d just come from being checked up on. He was fine. That was a bit weird, yeah, but he wasn’t sure how securely his memories were backed up anymore now the Bunker was gone. He didn’t want to conduct an overhaul and find everything leaking out of some back door. He had to stay focused.

He had to stay focused on the task at hand no matter what. There was no 2B to tell him to stay on track now. 2B would never be able to discuss things she liked with him, and she could no longer share anecdotes about people who were inevitably all long dead. He was alone now, no one to annoy, no one to share the silence with.

It was just him, the machines he had to destroy, and A2. Just thinking her name made him boil over with rage and regain the strength to keep moving. He had to kill her. He had to kill the machines. Maybe then, he would be able to rejoin 2B in peace.


End file.
